THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON
COLLEGE of Business ADMINISTRATION
DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT
MANA 5334: Organization Consulting & Research
Section 001, Summer 2007
Riverbend Campus 205
Wednesday 6:00 PM - 9:50 PM
Dr. David A. Mack Office: 302 Business Building
Phone: 817-272-3085 E-mail:
Office Hours: Th 4:00 - 5:00 PM, or By Appointment
Texts: Stangor, C. 2007. Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences. 3rd edition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Block, P. 2000. Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. 2nd edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass & Pfeiffer.
Rasiel, E.M. 1999. The McKinsey Way: Using the Techniques of the World’s Top Strategic Consultants to Help You and Your Business. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Readings: Supplemental articles and cases may be required. Notice of these will be provided well in advance of the class in which they will be discussed.
Description of Course: The aim of this course is to provide graduate students with a theoretical and practical examination of applied organization science research methods along with an introduction to the process of consulting in organizations. Each student, through their own program of study and other life experiences, has the potential to develop their own area of expertise. The course will aim at assisting the student to understand their “consulting dimension” that they may wish to further develop. This will be accomplished through class lectures, class discussions, course readings, group work, examination, and finally through the semester project.
Research Project and Presentation: Each student will create, become involved in, and be responsible for a research-consulting project. While the student is introduced to conducting research and consulting during the first part of the class, there will be significant involvement and learning through the research-consulting project itself. The project will be determined by the student(s) within the first few weeks of the course. Students will work in groups to accomplish the project.
The project will allow each student to obtain some degree of hands-on experience in the many stages of the consulting-research process. This includes reading and evaluating research and practitioner articles, designing survey instruments and data gathering procedures, collecting data, preparing data for analysis, using computers for analyzing data, collaborating with a client to resolve a problem, writing effective reports that summarize and interpret findings, and giving a convincing, engaging oral presentation that details the research project.
It is critical that you regularly attend class and participate in a positive and constructive manner. The class is conducted in a seminar format. Students will be assigned various topics and will be responsible for leading the discussion during particular classes. The instructor's evaluation of your class room participation will account for 10% of your final grade. On-time attendance is extremely important in this class, and missing classes will substantially impact your final grade.
Course Grading:
Research Project and Presentation 45%
Book Synopsis 10%
Exam 35%
Participation and Attendance 10%
Total 100%
The following agenda is intended to be a rough outline only.
Week 1 5-29
Introduction to the Course
Overview of the Research-Consulting Process
General Topic Discussion
Introduction to Research S 1, 2
Developing Research Hypotheses
Group Formation
Week 2 6-6
The Role of the Consultant B 1, 2, 3, 4
Contracting Overview
Measures S 4, 5
Reliability and Validity
Week 3 6-13
The Contracting Meeting B 5, 6, 7, 8
Agonies of Contracting
The Internal Consultant
Understanding Resistance
Surveys and Sampling S 6, 7
Texas Feathers Case Study
Preliminary Project Proposals Due
Week 4 6-20
Dealing with Resistance B 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 Data Collection
Whole System Discovery
Preparing Feedback
Internal & External Validity S 12, 13, 14
Quasi-experimental Designs
Week 5 6-27
Managing Feedback B 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
Implementation & Engagement
Ethics & the Heart of the Matter
Final Project Proposals Due
Week 6 7-4
Holiday
Week 7 7-11
Exam
Book Synopsis Due
Week 8 7-18
Research Project Work
Week 9 7-25
Research Project Work
Week 10 8-1
Research Project Work
Week 11 8-8
Final Written Project Due
Week 12 8-15
Presentations
Student Support Programs
The University of Texas at Arlington supports a variety of student success programs to help you connect with the University and achieve academic success. They include learning assistance, developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally funded programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or socially should contact the Office of Student Success Programs at 817-272-6107 for more information and appropriate referrals.
Americans With Disabilities Act
The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 93112--The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act--(ADA), pursuant to section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.
As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide "reasonable accommodation" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Your responsibility is to inform me of the disability at the beginning of the semester and provide me with documentation authorizing the specific accommodation. Student services at UTA include the Office for Students with Disabilities (located in the lower level of the University Center) which is responsible for verifying and implementing accommodations to ensure equal opportunity in all programs and activities.
Academic Honesty
Academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form at The University of Texas at Arlington. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University.
"Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." (Regents' Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2, Subdivision 3.22).
Drop Policy
It is the student's responsibility to complete the course or withdraw from the course in accordance with University Regulations. Students will not be dropped by the instructor for non-attendance. Students are strongly encouraged to verify their grade status before dropping a course after the first withdrawal date. A student who drops a course after the first withdrawal date may receive an "F" in the course if the student is failing at the time the course is dropped. Please refer to the Undergraduate and Graduate catalogs and the Schedule of Classes for specific university policies and dates.
Policy on Nonpayment Cancellations
Students who have not paid by the census date and are dropped for non-payment cannot receive a grade for the course in any circumstances. Therefore, a student dropped for non-payment who continues to attend the course will not receive a grade for the course. Emergency loans are available to help students pay tuition and fees. Students can apply for emergency loans by going to the Emergency Tuition Loan Distribution Center at E. H. Hereford University Center.
COBA Policy on Bomb Threats
Section 22.07 of the Texas Criminal Law states that a Class A misdemeanor is punishable by (1) a fine not to exceed $4,000, (2) a jail term of not more than one year, or (3) both such a fine and confinement. If anyone is tempted to call in a bomb threat, be aware that UTA has the technology to trace phone calls. Every effort will be made to avoid cancellation of presentation/ tests caused by bomb threats to the Business Building. Unannounced alternate sites will be available for these classes. If a student who has a class with a scheduled test or presentation arrives and the building has been closed due to a bomb threat, the student should immediately check for the alternate class site notice which will be posted on/near the main doors on the south side of the Business building. If the bomb threat is received while class is in session, your instructor will ask you to leave the building and reconvene at another location. Students who provide information leading to the successful prosecution of anyone making a bomb threat will receive one semester's free parking in the Maverick Garage across from the Business Building. UTA's Crimestoppers may provide a reward to anyone providing information leading to an arrest. To make an anonymous report, call 817-272-5245.
COBA Policy on Food/Drink in Classrooms
College policy prohibits food and/or drinks in classrooms and labs. Anyone bringing food and/or drinks into a classroom or lab will be required to remove such items, as directed by class instructor or lab supervisor.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend each class, and students are expected to come to each class with their assignments
completed. Students who must miss a class are responsible for securing any and all coursework missed. If any of the
student’s grade is based on attendance, the professor must specify all such requirements.
Evacuation Procedures
In the event of an evacuation of the College of Business building, when the fire alarm sounds, everyone must leave the building by the stairs. With the fire alarm system we now have, the elevators will all go to the first floor and stay there until the system is turned off.
All those in the North tower side of the building should proceed to the fire escape stairs located on the East and West sides of that wing.
FOR DISABLED PERSONS…..please go to the Northeast fire stairs. We have an evacu track chair located on the 6th floor stairwell. We have people trained in the use of this chair and there will be someone that will go to the 6th floor to get the chair and bring it to any lower floor stairwell to assist disabled persons.
Should this be a real emergency, the Arlington Fire Department and UTA Police will also be here to help.